Improvement in



R. P. PARROTT,

- Shell-Fuse.

No. v Patented Nov. 5, 18611.

. NrrEn rArEs- PATENT OFFICE.-

RoRERr r. rn'RRofrT, or ooLD SPRING, NEW 'roR1..

IMPROVEMENT IN APPLYING FUSES TO SHELLS.

Specification forming part oi Letters Patent No. 33,662, dated November'5, 1561.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT I. IARRo'rT, of Cold Spring, in the county ofPutnam and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mode ofApplying Fuses to plosive Irojectiles; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which-- Figure l is a central longitudinal section ofan elongated shell charged, and having its fuse applied according tomyinvention. Fig. 2 is a similar section of the shell without the l'useand its appendages.

This invention is more especially intended for the explosive projectilesof elongated form usually thrown from ritled cannon, and which move withthe point forward; and it has for its principal object to make thefuseserve either as a time-fuse or a percussioni"use,.7 as may bedesired, the fuse employed being the paper fuse commonly used in shells,or of any other suitable kind, and the use of fulminates being dispensedwith. The said invention consists in providing in the metal of theprojectile, on each side ofthe hole commonly known as the fuse-hole, ayhole for the reception of the fuse, intersecting or meeting thefirst-named hole in a transverse section. In connection with thistransverse hole for the reception of the fuse, I employ in vtheirst-mentioned hole, to effect the explosion of the projectile bypercussion, a movable plug, plunger, or other piece of metal suitablyapplied to break the fuse when the projectile strikes, so that the tirefrom the fuse, which is ignited by the iire of the charge of the gun,may communicate with the charge of the projectile; but this plug orpiece may or may not be omitted when the fuse is to be used as atime.-fuse.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

The aperture A at the point of the projectile, commonly known as thefuse-hole, has

a screw-thread, a., in its front part, 'for the re-, ception of ascrew-plug, B, and has a shoulder,

t, some dist-ance farther back, to serve as a resting-place for theiiange c, formed on the plunger C, which is fitted to the back part ofthe aperture. The transverse hole D, which constitutes the principalfeature ofmy invention, is drilled obliquely to the hole A through themetal on one side of the said hole and into the metal on the oppositeside thereof. I prefer to make this hole Drof taper form, and I soarrange it between the position occupied by the screw-plug B and thatoccupied by the plunger C that the fuse E may be inserted in it andacross the hole A, as shown in Fig. l, and that the screw-plug, whenhome, will just press upon the paper case of the fuse, and so secure it.The fuse E should be left protruding far enough to be ignited by theiire from the discharge of the gun. Before screwing down the plug thespace c e, surrounding the fuse between the plug B and plunger C, shouldbe iilled with gunpowder or quick-match, for the purpose ofcommunicating the re of the fuse to thg, charge of the shell, thecommunication being made through a hole or holes, d, provided for the'purpose' in the plunger C. XVhen the shell is to be exploded onstriking any object, the paper case of fuse need not be perforatedpreparatory to its insertion in the hole D, for on the projectile beingarrested the momentum which the plunger C has acquired will carry itforward against the fuse, which was ignited bythe discharge of the gun,and cause it to crush and break the case thereof, and so permit the reto reach the charge in the projectile. The tube maybe crushed in thesame way by the driving in of a plug occupying the position of B,dispensing with the plunger C. Vhen the fuse is to be used as atimefuse, its case is perforated at a' suitable distance from the endfor the fire torreach the charge of the shell at' the proper. time. Inthis mode ofusing it the plunger may be omitted, though its beingallowed to remain would not be in any way detrimental to the action ofthe fuse.

The convenience of being enabled to use the same fuse as a time orpercussion fuse will be readily appreciated 5 and another greatadvantage of my invention is the safety which re- 2. The combination,with the transverselysuits from dispensing with the use of fulmiinsertedfuse, ofa plunger, C, applied and opnates. erating substantially as andfor the purpose What I claim as my invention7 and desire to hereinspecified. secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with an aperture leading` to the interior of theshell7 of a transverse Nifitliesses: hole or passage, D, for thereception of the G. PAULDING, fuse, substantially as herein described..ELIsI-L-i NELSON.

ROBERT P. PARROTT.

